21,000 Students Signed Up to Take This Class on Blockchain Tech

On pace with the growing demand for knowledge and interest in blockchain technology, IBM partnered with India to offer a class on the subject.

Earlier this year, India offered a free online course on blockchain technology to students across the globe. But with the academic year already in full swing, the course is off to a slow start.

That’s because the course, called “Blockchain Architecture Design and Use Cases,” has seen more than 21,000 registrants, TheNextWeb reports.

The course was made possible through a partnership between the Indian elearning platform National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning (NPTEL) and IBM. The course, also funded by India’s education ministry, runs for 12 week and earns passing students a certificate signed by IBM.

But, with thousands of students signed up for the class, it can “barely keep up with the demand,” TheNextWeb says. “In an email sent to course participants today, the National Programme on Technology Enhanced Learning (NPTEL) revealed that the unexpected interest in the course has created a backlog of registrations on IBM’s website. The cause is students trying to sign up for the IBM blockchain starter program as part of their coursework.”

What this means:

The explosive interest in this course isn’t surprising – there’s been an uptick of interest in blockchain technology among students, TheNextWeb says. The reason for this is the “increased employment opportunities in the sector.” Similarly, top universities are now teaching classes on blockchain technology; for example, University of California Berkeley offered a similar course this year, and “has seen nearly 8,000 students signup already,” TheNextWeb says.

Additionally, blockchain studies have shifted from cryptocurrency to businesses applications in multiple industries, including insurance, finance, supply chain logistics, digital identity, healthcare, the public sector, and more, according to TheNextWeb. As a result, the need for blockchain knowledge is almost a must-have for employee candidates who enter these spaces. Additionally, following IBM’s footsteps and partnering with an academic program to offer courses similar to the above might be a good move: doing so can keep employees up to date on blockchain trends and risks, keep the business protected from a breach, and demonstrate an investment in employee growth.

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